The Queensland IT industry has been working together on an IT contractor and consultant sourcing model which it hopes the government might use instead of its proposed master vendor model.

At the end of July, the industry was up in arms because the
State Government
put forward a model that would see current panels
for the sourcing of consultants and contractors abolished to make
way for one master vendor drawing on a database of
candidates. The government hoped to save 5 to 10 per cent of
its costs by doing this, pointing out that some of the temporary
employees brought in were priced very highly.

However, the industry did not agree with the model, saying it would
be detrimental to the companies and contractors. Now it wants to make the government
a better one. "We're working up an alternate
model to present to government," a spokesperson for ITCRA (IT
Contractor and Recruitment Association) told ZDNet.com.au.

ITCRA is waiting on confirmation from the government as to when the
industry might be able to present the model, the spokesperson said.
It was hoped this might happen within the next few weeks.

ITCRA along with the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA)
have also decided to finance a survey which they hope will inform the government of the true impact of
the proposed model on local companies and contractors.

The survey
is being undertaken by Longhaus, the Queensland research firm which
carried out an earlier report on the government's engagement with
the contracting industry. The results of the survey are currently
being analysed, and when finished, will also be presented to the
government.